By Miguel Rivera
IBF, WBC, WBA, IBO middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) is hoping Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will grab an upset victory over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on May 6th from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Golovkin admits that he believes Chavez Jr. will shave off too much weight and come in drained, which will lead to a decision loss to Canelo. There is a catch-weight in place of 164.5-pounds. Chavez has not weighed below 167.5-pounds since 2012, when he fought Sergio Martinez at middleweight.
Should Canelo win, and Golovkin defeat his mandatory challenger Daniel Jacobs on March 18th at Madison Square Garden, there is a possibility of them facing each other in September during Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Golovkin says that he has a lot more respect for Chavez Jr., because of their past actions with world titles.
When Chavez Jr. was the WBC middleweight champion, he went forward with his mandatory challenger, who was Sergio Martinez, and lost the title over the twelve round distance. When Canelo was the WBC champion last year, he was ordered to make a mandatory defense against Golovkin. After promising on national television to make that defense, Canelo vacated his title and dropped down to 154. By default, the World Boxing Council named Golovkin as their new world champion.
"I respect more Chavez Jr. - because Canelo show me his face... too much talking.. too much you know. He gave me [his] belt... his WBC belt. Chavez.. he never like that. If you want belt, [Chavez Jr. says] please fight [me]... I don't give my belt," Golovkin told A Los Golpes.
"I want... [I'm] serious... Julio Jr. [to win], but I think this time he maybe.. lose too much weight for him. Canelo is going to 164 and he will be more fresh, more speed, more power. I think on points Canelo [will win]. But in my heart I want Chavez [to win]."
